THE MORTAL HERO: IMMORTAL ENDEAVORS
by VengeanceInLife
Summary: Set in Ancient Greece. Percy, a commoner who vows to put an end to the suffering of the city Argos.Out in a world where children of the gods roam freely. How will he keep up? Simple. Use his brains, and go with the flow. on his journeys he'll encounter many obstacles, and achieve more than any hero ever has. also learn how pride leads to destruction. PERCY\ANNABETH rated T R&R
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

Perseus Jackson was, for the lack of a better word, a delinquent.

Born to a fisherman and his wife (Who lived in perpetual poverty.), he'd learned early in his (relatively short) life, that if he wanted food, stealing was the only viable option. Oh, it wasn't always like this. There was a time when produce was plenty. Life was good. But then IT started. Poseidon's wrath. Argos was doomed

 _Endless._

No one knew why, and nobody dared to ask. The seas were ravaged by storms, gales-Every calamity you'd associate with the god. Fishing was nigh-impossible. Food was scarce. Morale, non-existent. To feed his family, he stole.

Times like these made him wish he was a demigod. If only. He wished for change, for betterment. Alas, lowly mortals such as himself couldn't compare to those who had divine blood coursing through their veins. Like Hercules, Perseus (His namesake.), Odysseus, all the great heroes.

But Percy had unique talents. His wit (and tongue, by extension) was sharper than any sword. He excelled at pick-pocketing, lock-picking, sleight of hand, all necessary for a thief to be proficient in his profession. Honed to perfection. Being physically in peak condition despite only being eleven years old also helped.

The suffering of his people was what drove Percy to question the gods. Who were they to think that they could inflict such pain on others? What gave them that right?

The High priests were making no progress. The king, Gelanor, was helpless as he bore witness to the violence that ensued. People lost faith in the government, the Royal Army was taxed to its limit as it tried to maintain order.

In light of such events, young Perseus came to a decision.

The solution was a simple one. A quest. Someone must approach Poseidon. Appeal to his conscience. Easy (in the mind of a pre-teen)

In the coming days, supplies were gathered. Armour and weaponry secured, from a local metalsmith whose name he never bothered to know. Taking what little money he had saved.

The preparations were completed. Now, for the hard part.

Having had enough of the despair and desperation that clung to the city like a parasite, he left. Without bidding farewell to his parents, Sally and Paul Jackson. After all, he'd be back. With answers. Perhaps even be the catalyst for the change he so desired. Thus, began his journey. Thus began the legend of Perseus, THE MORTAL HERO.


	2. UNCONVENTIONAL ADVANTAGES

**UNCONVENTIONAL ADVANTAGES**

He had to admit, this was reckless.

The incident occurred while he was traversing the forests on the outskirts of Argos.

Rustling.

He hid on instinct, but peered from behind the branches of the willow tree (where he was hiding). What he saw made his blood run _cold_.

A woman. Or more accurately, half a woman. The other half was definitely reptilian. Her legs comprised of twin snake trunks. That would explain the fact that she slithered more than walked. She was armed only with a spear; she looked deadly with it.

Okay. So this creepy snake lady was dangerous. And most probably wouldn't hesitate to kill him. Keeping these thoughts in mind, a hasty retreat was preferable rather than a direct confrontation.

Nervously trying to back out, he stepped on a twig. A bloody twig. CRACK. He cursed.

The snake lady turned swiftly, spear held out. A sneer present on her face. Knowing that his chances of a stealthy escape were dashed, he decided to stand and fight. Drawing his metal sword he charged a her, intent on decapitating her with one strike.

His plan was crude. But it would have worked if his weapon actually made contact. Instead, it just passed through her. He could do nothing more than swear as her spear was plunged into his chest. The armour had been useless. Now he would die, in the worst way possible. Choking on his own blood. His eyes were quickly losing focus.

When he blinked, he was no longer with the monster. Three old ladies appeared before him. The two on the sides were...knitting socks. Weird. The lady in the middle just held yarn. A few moments passed. He was baffled, who were they? They looks ancient, frail, wore cotton dresses. No. He had no idea.

Realisation struck him as the middle one drew a pair of shears, held out a string of yarn which looked oddly familiar. He was screwed.

These were the Fates, perhaps the most powerful beings to ever exist. Even greater than the gods. That could mean only one thing. His time was up.

Anger.

The feeling of rage welled up inside him. Due to many reasons. His failure to complete his quest. Lacking purpose. They were too many to number.

Before he knew what he was doing, he'd snatched the string from the Fate, not caring for the consequences. It glowed for a moment and then simply disappeared. Like it was absorbed into his body.

Only one word could be used to describe the Fates' expressions. Gobsmacked.

Yes, it was definitely reckless.

The scene shifted; his eyes zeroed in on the snake lady. She was looking down on him, glee evident on her face. But his attention was elsewhere.

Exhilaration. Pure power. Strength. That was what he felt.

The events left him confused, but he would wonder about that later. Right now, his primary concern was defeating the monster. So he lunged and snapped her neck. With his bare hands. As he watched her dissolving form, he decided to check his wound. Pressing his right hand tenderly over where the fatal wound was supposed to be, he felt only a scar. Even that was healing at an accelerated pace.

A bright flash prevented him from investigating his miraculous recovery.

Standing in place of the monster dust was a woman dressed in a traditional sleeveless gown, carrying reed torches in both hands. A black Labrador retriever and polecat accompanied her on either side. Her most remarkable feature was that she seemed to split into three images of the same woman. These images were moving in unison. When they merged, her gown seemed to ripple, as if spilling off the ink.

Whoever she was, this woman was oozing power. This was a goddess. Even Percy, who was merely a child, could ascertain this much.

The goddess sized him up. As if to measure his worth. Such intense scrutiny made him jittery, but he hid it well. Showing weakness this situation would leave him dead or worse. So he returned the favour. Observing everything about the goddess, every little detail was of importance. After what seemed like eternity, she spoke.

"Do you know who I am, child?" She questioned.

He studied her curiously trying to recall the names of a goddesses whose description from myths and legends matched the one before him. A few moments later he reached a conclusion.

"Lady Hecate," he replied"."goddess of magic, sorcery, crossroads, necromancy, witchcraft, and trivial knowledge."

The now named Hecate smiled, "It would seem that you know your mythology well." Pausing for a moment, before continuing "but that is not what I wish to discuss."

"Your recent encounter with a Scythian dracanae, should have ended with you being dead, yet you still breathe." Her face morphed into a scowl. "This is most vexing. Furthermore, I cannot sense any crossroads in your future."

She gave him a sideways glance. He winced. That did not go unnoticed. Hecate leaned towards him, her eyes narrowed. "Tell me, child what really transpired?" Giving him a stern look (which promised pain, should he lie) "Leave out no detail."

Too afraid to do anything else, he recounted his strange tale.

"Impossible," she refuted, "such a thing has never happened in history." Her tone too apprehensive for his taste, he was quick to defend.

"I speak the truth, m'lady. Please, believe me." Her heart melting due to the child's innocent plea, she relented.

"Alright child, I believe you. But this means that you're truly unique, Perseus." Perking up at the mention of his name, he asked "Pardon me for asking, but what do you mean?"

Breathing deeply before beginning her explanation "When you wrested the string which represented your life from the Fates, you gained control over your existence." Raising her hand to stem the the tide of questions that would undoubtedly come, she continued. "Since you are the master of your own existence, no outside force can influence it. Not even the gods. It also stands to reason that you can never die. No matter the circumstances. Unless you wish to."

"This would give an unconventional advantage over the the other Demigods of this generation. As you'd never heal from any injuries, even fatal ones within moments. Nor will you need food, water or any other form of sustenance. Perhaps you could be the greatest hero come for millennia."

He blushed from the praise. He asked the question which was at the back of his mind for quite sometime "Not to be rude m'lady but, what do you want from me?

The corners of Hecate's mouth twitched in amusement. "I came to check the discrepancies revolving around you. But now that its cause is revealed to me, I wish to aid you in your quest. Your fate is yours to decide. Your unique status coupled with your intellect can make you unpredictable."

"So you know about my quest. Well, it is to be expected from a goddess such as you." He mused. "Intellect?" He questioned.

"I sense within you great intelligence. Even greater than a child of Athena. I do not know how, but if it is tapped, you might succeed in your quest." The goddess remarked.

"The gods of Olympus have become complacent and corrupt. They view mortals as vermin, only fit to serve them. It is my true belief that you are the catalyst for change. But you must prove yourself to Poseidon, and all the other eleven gods. Only then will they listen." She added.

He was skeptical. "How will I prove my self to the gods? Even with my newfound abilities, defeating monsters will be impossible without training and proper weapons."

"You shall have your weapons."

She snapped her fingers. A beautiful sword made of silver materialised. It was covered with intricate designs depicting the moon during harvest season on one side with twin torches on the other. Alongside the sword, a shield with twin torches in the centre appeared.

"You do not need an armour due to your healing abilities."

He made a face. "But m'lady, even if I heal fast, the injuries will hurt like hell."

His unofficial patron smiled devilishly."All the more incentive to not get injured."

Percy took it in stride. He was nothing if not adaptable.

"And what of my training m'lady?"

"You'll just have to find out." With one last smirk, she disappeared in a bright flash.


End file.
